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The Perro de Presa Canario is a Molosser type dog from the Canary Islands. This large breed was originally bred as a multi-purpose farm dog, being used as a cattle drover and guard dog.
History: The breed is originally from the Canary
Islands in the 1700s, notably Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Its
exact ancestry is unknown, but enthusiasts believe that an
already established farm dog from the Canary Islands by the
name of Majorero (Perro de Bardino Majorero) was crossed with
the Mastiff of England and Old-Style Bulldogs that were
brought from Europe to the Islands by visitors and colonists,
creating the foundation for the modern Presa Canario.
It is also believed that a number of Spanish and breeds may
have contributed to the development of the Presa Canario such
as the Perro de Ganado Majorero, Presa Español, and Alano
Español.
Presa type dogs are mentioned in historical documents of
the 16th and 17th centuries, as guard dogs and catch dogs.
Perro de Presa Canario is generally considered as being
created during the 18th century with the above-mentioned
crosses for the purpose of dog fighting, tradition which the
English settlers transplanted along with their English breeds
of Mastiff and Bulldog. Canary Islanders consider these fights
"honor fights" and not the sole purpose of the
animal. They were most definitely used as guard dogs, and with
declining use, farm dogs. These presa type dogs were also
referred to as the "perro de la tierra" or "dog
of the land."
Like many fighting dogs, the breed became nearly extinct
after dog fighting was outlawed in the 1940s, but the breed
was revived in the 1970s with the help of several crosses by
various breeders. This period is generally known as the
reconstrucion of the breed and as a result, occasional
atypical specimens are not uncommon, although increasingly
less so.
"Perro de Presa Canario" means the Canarian Dog
of Prey. It is sometimes referred to as a "Presa."
Appearance: The Presa should be powerful, balanced,
and imposing in appearance. It is heavily built, but able to
move with great athleticism.
The head is broad, massive, square, and powerful. Proper
head and good expression are part of the breed standard, and
are manifest in the best breed specimens. The ears are
normally cropped both to create a more formidable expression,
and to prevent damage while working with cattle. In countries
where ear cropping is banned the ears should be pendent or
"rose" shaped. The lips are thick and hang in an
inverted V; the flews may be slightly loose.
The breed is also characterized by a sloping topline(with
the rear being slightly higher than the shoulders). Another
characteristic of the breed is the shape of the paws (cat
foot) and the catlike movement of the animal. The body is
mesomorphic, that is, slightly longer than the dog is tall,
contributing to the feline movement. The breed is also known,
incidentally, for the ability to adapt to various climates.
Size: Females average between 22-25 inches at the
withers and weigh between 90-120 pounds, Males average between
23-26 inches at the withers and weigh between 115-140 pounds,
Generally speaking, exceeding the weights listed above could
lead to a number of health problems. Too much weight is also
known to compromise the dog's athleticism and working ability.
Coat and color: One of the characteristics of the
breed is the diversity of markings. Fawn comes in silver fawn,
gold fawn, and red fawn. Brindle comes in colorings of black
(and may appear solid), brown, and all shades in between.
"Verdino" or greenish-tinted brindle is among the
most traditional coat colors; reverse brindle or
"atigrado claro" is among the most exotic.
The ideal coat is medium length and "rustic,"
that is, slightly coarse to the touch. The breed is known for
its very minimal shedding. Presa Canarios have thick skin and
short fur that comes in all shades of fawn and brindle. White
is allowed up to 20 percent and is most commonly found on the
chest and feet, and occasionally on a blaze on the muzzle. The
breed standard requires black pigmentation and dogs should
have a black mask that does not extend above the eyes. No
shades of blue are allowed in competition.
Temperament: The Presa Canario breed is known for
its calm temperament, which is often referred to as the
"island temperament." It is considered "gentle
and noble" with the family, and distrusting of strangers.
The Presa Canario forms a strong bond with its master and
human family and can be very protective. The breed is
intelligent and is known to possess a "severe gaze."
It is also known to do well with children.
Despite its one-time notoriety, the Presa Canario is not a
breed known for its man-aggression. In some situations, the
Presa can be aggressive towards other dogs and animals. Once
the dog has been socialized and trained, this becomes the
exception instead of the rule. Many Presas share their homes
with birds, cats, dogs, horses, reptiles and other animals.
Presa Canario is a dominant breed (a characteristic common
to all bullbreeds) and requires socilialization as a pup and
throughout its life. Basic obedience training is also
recommended.
Trainability: Due to its temperament, the Presa
Canario is highly trainable under the right circumstances. The
Presa Canario is increasing in popularity as a personal
protection and protection sports dog.
The best specimens of the breed will show natural
protective instincts, good natural drive, and innate
confidence. The recommended training method for the breed is
military-style dog training.
Health: As with any breed, those interested in
purchasing a Presa Canario should carefully research breeders
and a dog's ancestry to ensure that the breeding lines are
healthy. Typically speaking, the higher the degree of
consanguinity, the higher the likelihood of genetic defects.
Due to the breed's vast gene pool, many of the genetic
problems that affect other purebreeds are less evident.
However, as the breed becomes more tightly interbred and
bloodlines developed the incidence of genetic problems may
increase.
As a large breed, the Presa Canario can be susceptible to
hip dysplasia. Other possible (but generally uncommon) health
problems include epilepsy, osteochondrodysplasias, and
cryptorchidism. Health issues unique to Spain include canine
herpes virus and canine visceral leishmaniasis. An outbreak of
herpes can be deadly to a canine population, particularly to
newborn puppies. Leishmaniasis is a blood parasite that has a
long incubation period (of several years) and most often leads
to death.
Lifespan: The average lifespan for the Presa Canario
is 8-12 years.
Breed status: Some enthusiasts hold that, if the
dog's pedigree cannot be traced back to the Canary Islands, it
is not a true Presa Canario but rather a Bandog. It should be
noted that there is a great degree of diversity in Presa
Canarios and Dogo Canarios throughout the world. While this
diversity has good implications for health, it has some
interesting ramifications for the breed status. The Presa
Canario is one of four breeds that does not have a DNA
profile.
And despite the fact that some claim the "Presa
Canario" is a different breed from the "Dogo
Canario" neither phenotype nor genotype evidence can
accurately substantiate this claim. Essentially, all Dogo
Canarios are Presa-type dogs (that is Presa Canario), but not
all Presa-type dogs (Presa Canario) are necessarily Dogo
Canarios.
For years, obtaining proper paperwork from Spain was
extremely difficult. It is even claimed, for example, that a
former president of the Spanish club simply didn't give out
papers. Some breeders simply do not have papers on their dogs
which are bonafide Presa Canarios. The problem in obtaining
papers has definitely contributed to the diversity of the
breed in many ways. Due to this difficulty, American owners
and breeders created and sought other ways to register their
dogs, such as AKC-FSS, UKC, UPPCC, and FIC.
Coat genetics: Dogs have a great deal of diversity
in breeds, in all aspects, including coat color and patterns.
Canine coat genetics are still being researched. Most of our
present understanding of canine coat genetics is based on the
work of Clarence Cook Little, author of "Inheritance of
Coat Color in Dogs" (1979), although some researchers
dispute certain of his theories. For those with a keen
interest in canine coat genetics, an excellent source for the
breeder and the layperson's understanding is authored by Dr.
Sue Ann Bowling.
As far as the Presa Canario is concerned, it is believed
Fawn is based on the Agouti series, specifically the ay
allele. Agouti hairs are fawn hairs banded and/or interspersed
with black. This gene is recessive to the other genotype of
the breed, brindle.
It is known that Brindle is a dominant trait but there is
some argument as to where it is located. Little postulated
that it was on the E series (Ebr) but if so, would compete
with the black mask (Em), which is known to not be the case.
Dr. Bowling speculates the gene is most likely on a new
series, which she calls "K".
The following are true in canine coat genetics:
(remembering alleles come in sets of 2)
1. Breeding fawn (ayay) x brindle (KbrKbr or Kbray) may
produce: fawn and brindle offspring.
2. Breeding brindle (KbrKbr or Kbray) x brindle (KbrKbr or
Kbray) may produce: fawn and brindle offspring.
3. Breeding fawn (ayay) x fawn (ayay) will always
produce: fawn offspring.
For breedings of fawn x brindle or brindle x brindle there
is no clear way to predict the number of fawn or brindle
offspring. Some litters from these breedings will be entirely
fawn, entirely brindle, or, most likely, some combination of
both.
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